Mechanism Of Behavior Research Articles

What Determines Rural Residents’ Intention and Behavior Towards Clean Energy Use? Evidence from Northwest China

Two United Nations Sustainable Development Goals highlight that energy supply, conversion, transmission, and consumption are primary contributors to climate change, accounting for 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Exploring the influencing factors on the intention and behavior of clean energy use in rural areas is a crucial step in achieving the “Dual Carbon” target and global sustainable development goals. The article constructed a theoretical analysis framework of “environmental knowledge—perceived value—use intention—use behavior”. Taking Gansu Province, a typical case area in northwest China, as a case study, data from 766 survey questionnaires were used to analyze the characteristics and impact mechanism of clean energy use behavior among residents. This article finds that rural household energy use is moving towards low-carbon goals, but traditional energy remains an important component, especially in winter heating scenarios. Only the use intention has a direct promoting effect on use behavior, with a regression coefficient of 0.108. Perceived value and use intention play a chain-mediating role between environmental knowledge and use behavior. Residents with higher income levels, higher education levels, and poorer health conditions are more likely to develop clean energy use intention and behavior. At the same time, government intervention measures also have a promoting effect. Finally, countermeasures and suggestions for improving the public’s level of clean energy utilization in underdeveloped areas were proposed.

Munir Gunes Kutlu: Exploring the neural mechanisms of learning and social behaviors – A scientist's journey and perspective

Dr. Munir “Gunes” Kutlu, Assistant Professor at the Center for Substance Abuse Research (CSAR) and the Department of Neural Sciences at Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, investigates the neural mechanisms underlying associative learning, mainly focusing on reward, fear, and social interaction. Drawing from his computational neuroscience training at Duke University and postdoctoral work at Temple and Vanderbilt Universities, Dr. Kutlu combines systems neuroscience, computational approaches, and behavioral analysis to understand how our brains process environmental associations and how these processes can become maladaptive in disease states. His laboratory, dedicated to “bridging the brain-behavior gap,” fosters a collaborative environment that nurtures the next generation of neuroscientists while pursuing innovative neural circuit analysis approaches in reward and aversive learning contexts. In this Genomic Press interview, Dr. Kutlu shares his insights on these fascinating aspects of behavioral neuroscience and his laboratory's mission to advance our understanding of neural circuit function in health and disease.

When brands show a human side, hearts open a wide! Enhancing prosocial behavior through anthropomorphized brand messaging in cause related marketing

This paper discusses the influence mechanism of prosocial behavior through anthropomorphized brand messaging in cause related marketing among young adults, based on heuristic systematic model, the study assesses how different modes of information processing shapes consumers’ prosocial behavior, with moderating effect of execution style. An online survey was conducted among 299 young adults in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, utilizing a purposive sampling technique. Structural Equation Modeling was applied using Smart-PLS. The findings indicate that anthropomorphized brand message in cause related marketing significantly influence prosocial behavior. Systematic information processing is positively associated with brand anthropomorphism, while heuristic processing shows a negative association. The execution style moderates the relationship between brand anthropomorphism and prosocial behavior, with cause-focused messaging enhancing the effectiveness of anthropomorphism in cause related marketing initiatives. The study suggests that brands can enhance effectiveness of cause related marketing by adopting anthropomorphized messaging, which fosters deeper emotional connectionsand encourages systematic information processing. The implications are significant for marketers aiming to design effective cause related marketing strategies that resonate with socially conscious young adults.

Driving mechanism of innovative behavior of college students——A study of grounded theory based on Chinese college students

Driving mechanism of innovative behavior of college students——A study of grounded theory based on Chinese college students

Mechanisms of anti-predator behavior in the great ramshorn snail (Planorbarius corneus).

Like vertebrate animals, some invertebrates have been shown to exhibit fear- or anxiety-like behavior while in apparatus that allow choice between sheltered, darkened spaces and open, lit spaces. The behavioral mechanisms by which invertebrates accomplish this behavior, and whether those mechanisms are similar across species, has not been fully studied. Across three experiments, we investigated possible behaviors that Great Ramshorn snails (Planorbarius corneus) could use to accomplish fear behavior while in presence of the odor of a predatory fish. In experiment one, we used a light/dark preference box to demonstrate reduced preference for exposed and lit areas caused by the predator odor. In experiment two, we used an open field apparatus to demonstrate an increase in refuge-seeking (thigmotaxis, or time spent near a wall) in diffusely lit but not dark environments caused by predator odor. In the same experiment we found the snails were photokinetic (they moved faster in the light than in the dark) but we saw no effect of predator odor on photokinesis. In experiment three, we conducted a second open field study with a directional light source and found no evidence of phototaxis (movement direction with respect to light), and no effect of predator odor on phototaxis. Thus, in our studies we found evidence for refuge-seeking as a mechanism for fear-like behavior in the presence of predator odor and little evidence for perhaps more computationally simple strategies of increased photokinesis and phototaxis.

Utilization of Electric Fields to Modulate Molecular Activities on the Nanoscale: From Physical Properties to Chemical Reactions.

As a primary energy source, electricity drives broad fields from everyday electronic circuits to industrial chemical catalysis. From a chemistry viewpoint, studying electric field effects on chemical reactivity is highly important for revealing the intrinsic mechanisms of molecular behaviors and mastering chemical reactions. Recently, manipulating the molecular activity using electric fields has emerged as a new research field. In addition, because integration of molecules into electronic devices has the natural complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor compatibility, electric field-driven molecular devices meet the requirements for both electronic device miniaturization and precise regulation of chemical reactions. This Review provides a timely and comprehensive overview of recent state-of-the-art advances, including theoretical models and prototype devices for electric field-based manipulation of molecular activities. First, we summarize the main approaches to providing electric fields for molecules. Then, we introduce several methods to measure their strengths in different systems quantitatively. Subsequently, we provide detailed discussions of electric field-regulated photophysics, electron transport, molecular movements, and chemical reactions. This review intends to provide a technical manual for precise molecular control in devices via electric fields. This could lead to development of new optoelectronic functions, more efficient logic processing units, more precise bond-selective control, new catalytic paradigms, and new chemical reactions.

The influence mechanism of internal and external driving factors on corporate green behavior

As the main undertaker of environmental protection tasks, what factors will affect the green behavior of enterprises and what factors play a crucial role are worthy of our in-depth research and discussion. This paper mainly explores the external and internal driving factors of enterprise green behavior, designs the corresponding scale, and obtains the enterprise survey data. With the help of SPSS26.0, AMOS24.0, and other software, the research results are analyzed through reliability and validity analysis difference score, and structural equation model to explore the influencing mechanism of enterprise green behavior. The empirical results show that: (1) From the perspective of direct effects, government environmental regulation, ecological environment quality, social norms, and individual factors have significant positive effects on corporate green behavior, while market leadership has no significant impact on corporate green behavior; From the perspective of categorical variables, government environmental regulation has a significant positive correlation with explicit green behavior, but its impact on implicit green behavior is not significant; market leadership has no significant impact on categorical variables of corporate green behavior; social norms also have a significant positive correlation with implicit green behavior, but their impact on explicit green behavior is not significant. (2) From the perspective of mediating effect, there are also multiple chain mediating effects between government environmental regulation, corporate green behavior, and their categorical variables. Individual factors mediate between market leadership, corporate green behavior, and its categorical variables. Ecological environment quality and individual factors significantly mediate between social norms, corporate green behavior, and its categorical variables. In contrast, individual factors significantly mediate between ecological environment quality and corporate green behavior and its categorical variables. (3) From the perspective of regulatory effect, among the influences of individual factors and corporate green behavior, corporate governance can play a significant negative regulatory effect. In contrast, organizational factors such as corporate attributes, green technology innovation ability, corporate social responsibility, and corporate green culture atmosphere all play a significant positive regulatory effect. Green technology innovation ability is far greater than other organizational factors. This paper’s conclusions will help improve the framework of the influencing mechanism of corporate green behavior and provide references for future research directions.

Mechanism behind piezoelectricity and thermal expansion behaviour of BaTiO3-based lead-free ceramics with various strontium dopants

Sr-doped BaTiO3 piezoelectric ceramics have attracted considerable interest for potential applications in electronic components owing to their excellent electrical properties. In this study, Ba0.95-xSrxCa0.05Ti0.9Zr0.1O3 (BSCTZ) lead-free ceramics were synthesised by conventional solid-state sintering at 1190 °C with as-prepared BSCTZ nanoparticles. La dopants were selected to reduce the number of oxygen vacancies during the preparation process, and MnO2 and CuO were introduced to reduce the sintering temperature. Changes in the phase, fracture morphology, dielectricity, ferroelectricity, and piezoelectricity with increasing x were examined. Our results show that Sr promotes orthorhombic-to-tetragonal phase evolution, decreases the average grain size, improves dielectric relaxation, increases ferroelectric diffuseness, and enhances the piezoelectricity of BSCTZ ceramics. With increasingly excessive strontium content, the ferroelectricity and piezoelectricity decreased, and the domain-switching activation energy increased. These changes are attributable to disturbed long-range dipoles, large compositional fluctuations, and fine grains. Optimal electrical properties were observed when the strontium content was 0.12. The Born–Lande theory was used to investigate the mechanism of thermal expansion behaviour. The study results provide a valuable reference for research on multifunctional BaTiO3-based piezoelectric ceramics modified with Sr.

Water collection through a directional leaf vein pattern by fast laser marker ablation of stainless-steel

Inspired by the natural water harvesting mechanisms of desert beetles, cactus thorns, and leaf veins, we designed a heterogeneous wettability surface with superhydrophilic pattern integrating leaf vein as the directional water transport main channel, attached capillary triangles as auxiliary channel plus a deep rough desorption channel on an overall superhydrophobic surface for an efficient water collection. A superhydrophilic surface was initially fabricated on the stainless steel disc by laser marker ablation allowing 1 μL droplet to spread completely to 0° within 0.12 seconds, followed by fluorine-containing coating transforming superhydrophilic surface to superhydrophobic one. Directional water transport patterns were then etched on the superhydrophobic surfaces by the secondary laser marker. The surface energy gradient and Laplace pressure induced by the pattern facilitated directional fast transport and efficient desorption of droplets, thus improving water collection efficiency. The enhancement mechanism of the water harvesting behavior for such surfaces was analyzed, with one focus on enhancing collection in hydrophobic regions with capillaries to reduce bouncing off loss and the other on improving balanced cycling of the collection process. At a fog flow rate of 1500ml/h and 20cm away from the fog outlet, the directional leaf vein-patterned 19.625cm2 sized surface demonstrated a fog water collection rate (WCR) of 5.6 Kg·m-2·h-1 and first drop collection at the 49th s, an impressively short time rarely reported. Compared to the superhydrophobic, superhydrophilic samples, and the reference, WCR increased by 180%, 62%, and 59%, respectively, and the first droplet collection time decreased by 73%, 46%, and 62%, respectively. This efficient water collection method has huge potential in arid regions.

Adhesion behavior and microscopic mechanism of epoxy asphalt-RAP aggregate interface

The utilization of thermosetting epoxy asphalt shows promise in achieving the objective of efficient recycling of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and promoting the sustainable development of pavement engineering. However, the adhesion behavior and microscopic mechanism of the multi-phase complex interface of epoxy asphalt-RAP aggregate is not clear, which is not conducive to the application of epoxy asphalt in RAP. In this paper, epoxy asphalt-aged asphalt (EA)-aggregate specimens were prepared to simulate the epoxy asphalt-RAP aggregate interface. The effects of different factors on adhesion performance indicators such as surface performance, shear performance and dynamic mechanical performance of the interface were evaluated. The grey relation analysis was used to clarify the sensitivity of interface adhesion performance indicators to different factors. Finally, the microscopic mechanism of interface adhesion behavior was revealed. The results showed that the increase in the epoxy component content and the degree of blending (DOB) of the EA improved the surface characteristics, shear performance, and dynamic mechanical performance of the interface, contributing to interface tends to adhesion failure, which was contrary to the aging effect of asphalt and water immersion. Noteworthy, adding the epoxy component exacerbated the gradient distribution of the EA with partial blending, and the enhancement effect on the interface deformability was significantly weakened. Especially for the range of shear strain growth rate of the EA-30P-granite interface decreased to 15.21 %∼27.61 %. Besides, the adhesion performance of the interface with different aggregates showed a similar pattern. The surface characteristics and dynamic mechanical performance of the interface were more sensitive to aggregate type and DOB, while the top-ranking influencing factors were epoxy component content and DOB for interface shear performance. Increasing the epoxy component content and DOB contributed to the integrity of the microstructural morphology of the epoxy component, but the aging of asphalt had the opposite pattern.

Partition behavior of bovine serum albumin on homogeneous liquid-liquid extraction with triton X-114 solution by complex formation with pyllogarol red-molybdate reagent

Abstract The present study was conducted to examine the homogeneous liquid-liquid extraction behavior of bovine serum albumin (BSA) using an aqueous solution of Triton X-114 (TX114). We found that the addition of pyrogallol-red molybdate (PR-Mo) to the solution induced the complete extraction of BSA into the TX114-rich phase, though the BSA and PR-Mo could not be extracted selectively into the TX114 phase. To determine the distribution mechanism, photometric titration and circular dichroic (CD) spectroscopy were performed. BSA formed a complex with PR-Mo at a molar ratio of 1:42 in pure water, which shifted to 1:21 in an aqueous solution of TX114, indicating the formation of a ternary BSA-PR-Mo-TX114 complex. The CD spectra revealed that α-helix BSA is dominant in pure water, whereas β-strand BSA is dominant in the presence of PR-Mo. In summary, the structural change induced in BSA by the formation of a ternary complex is a possible switching mechanism of the partitioning behavior in BSA.

Merging behaviour and fatigue life evaluation of multi-cracks in welds of OSDs

Experimental studies were conducted to investigate the merging behaviour of multiple fatigue cracks (MFCs) in rib-to-deck welds of orthotropic steel decks (OSDs). Numerical simulations were conducted to investigate the mechanism of the merging behaviour of MFCs on fatigue life. In addition, the sensitive parameter in the MFCs affecting the fatigue life were revealed. Finally, a comprehensively failure criterion for MFCs was proposed. Results show that the merging behaviour of MFCs can be effectively observed by the beach marks on the fracture surface of the rib-to-deck weld. The merging behaviour is a key factor driving cracks penetrating through the deck, which significantly increases the crack length and decreases the crack shape ratio. The fatigue life of MFCs with different crack sizes is mostly determined by the larger crack, while the shape ratio effect can be ignored. The crack number has the most significant effect on fatigue life, where the five-cracks case reducing the fatigue life by up to 39 % compared to a single crack. Due to the nonlinear effect of crack spacing on fatigue life, MFCs with the same fatigue life may have significantly different final crack length. Therefore, the proposed failure criterion for MFCs considers the effects of both crack depth and length.

On the Effect of Chemical Heterogeneity on the Shape Memory Performance of Fe–Ni–Co–Al–Ti Single Crystals

AbstractThe present work focuses on the formation of the γ′-phase and its impact on the functional properties of a Fe-28Ni–17Co–11.5Al–2,5Ti (at.-%) shape memory alloy (SMA) under cyclic loading conditions at different testing temperatures. The effect of aging treatments conducted in a wide range of aging temperatures and times was investigated. While specific heat treatments, namely 600 °C for 4 h, result in excellent superelastic properties with a fully reversible material response in single cycle experiments, interestingly, functional degradation is found to be more pronounced under cyclic loading compared to other derivatives of the Fe–Ni–Co–Al-based SMA systems. In addition to mechanical testing, a detailed microstructural analysis was conducted using transmission electron microscopy. The results of the present study clearly reveal that chemical inhomogeneities have to be carefully considered for the characterization of the functional performance of these iron-based SMAs. Chemical heterogeneities are not only identified as the underlying microstructural mechanism for the pronounced cyclic degradation behavior, but are also supposed to have a significant influence on the precipitation kinetics of the γ′-phase.

Identification of a Soybean Volatile Attractive for Riptortus pedestris Using Reverse Chemical Ecology Approach.

The bean bug Riptortus pedestris is a major soybean pest and a cause of the stay-green symptoms. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying its olfaction-mediated host-seeking behavior remain unclear. In this study, we compared the antennae transcriptomes of starved and nonstarved adult R. pedestris, identifying four differentially expressed odorant receptor (OR) genes. Among these, RpedOR13 showed a strong response to the host volatile 2-phenylethanol (2-PE) in Xenopus oocyte assays, while electroantennography and behavioral tests confirmed 2-PE as an effective attractant. Next, phylogenetic analysis identified RpedOR72b as a paralog of RpedOR13, with subsequent Xenopus oocyte assays confirming its specific response to 2-PE. Additionally, RNA interference experiments highlighted the crucial role of RpedOR72b in detecting 2-PE. Taken together, these findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of host-seeking behavior in R. pedestris and highlight the successful application of reverse chemical ecology in OR-based screening of bioactive compounds.

Atomic mechanisms of oxidative behavior of ferrochromium alloys by water-oxygen environment

The formation of chromium-rich oxide layers on the surface of Fe-Cr alloys significantly impacts their performance at elevated temperatures. Understanding the formation process of these oxide layers at the atomic scale is crucial for further elucidating oxidation behavior, though it presents substantial challenges. In this study, ReaxFF molecular dynamics simulations were used to investigate the oxidation behavior of Fe-Cr alloys in high temperature water vapor and oxygen environments. The results demonstrate that chromium atoms are the primary contributors to the oxidation process, with Cr atoms diffusing to the surface more readily than iron atoms, leading to uneven stress distribution and creating high-stress regions near the Cr atoms. Additionally, hydrogen atoms generated from the breakdown of water molecules infiltrate the alloy matrix, promoting the creation, movement, and clustering of cation and anion vacancies, thereby enhancing oxidation reactions in high-temperature, humid conditions. The study further analyzes electron transfer during single-atom chemical reactions and explores the linear relationship between varying Cr content (10 %–30 %) and oxidation behavior under identical environmental conditions. These findings provide an important theoretical basis for optimizing the performance of Fe-Cr alloys for applications in high temperature environments.

Neural integration of egocentric and allocentric visual cues in the gaze system.

A fundamental question in neuroscience is how the brain integrates egocentric (body-centered) and allocentric (landmark-centered) visual cues, but for many years this question was ignored in sensorimotor studies. This changed in recent behavioral experiments, but the underlying physiology of ego / allocentric integration remained largely unstudied. The specific goal of this review is to explain how prefrontal neurons integrate eye-centered and landmark-centred visual codes for optimal gaze behavior. First, we briefly review the whole-brain / behavioral mechanisms for ego / allocentric integration in the human and summarize egocentric coding mechanisms in the primate gaze system. We then focus in more depth on cellular mechanisms for ego / allocentric coding in the frontal and supplementary eye fields. We first explain how prefrontal visual responses integrate eye-centered target and landmark codes to produce a transformation toward landmark-centered coordinates. Next, we describe what happens when a landmark shifts during the delay between seeing and acquiring a remembered target, initially resulting in independently co-existing ego / allocentric memory codes. We then describe how these codes are re-integrated in the motor burst for the gaze shift. Deep network simulations suggest that these properties emerge spontaneously for optimal gaze behavior. Finally, we synthesize these observations and relate them to normal brain function through a simplified conceptual model. Together, these results show that integration of visuospatial features continues well beyond visual cortex and suggests a general cellular mechanism for goal-directed visual behaviour.

Initial-boosted dynamics in a memristive Chialvo map and its application for image encryption with hardware implementation

Generally speaking, the discrete map possesses a low dimension and complex dynamics that can trigger hyperchaos to apply in image encryption. In this paper, we lead a memristor possessing cosine mem-conductance into the one-dimensional (1D) Chialvo map by sinusoidal-modulation-input method, thereby a two-dimensional (2D) memristive Chialvo (m-Chialvo) map is constructed. The fixed points stability and the forming mechanism for initial-boosted behavior are theoretically deduced. Numerical simulations show that the 2D m-Chialvo map can trigger initial-boosted hyperchaotic attractors, which hold the availability for image encryption. Besides, an FPGA-based digital platform is implemented to offer the verification of the initial-boosted hyperchaotic attractors. Furthermore, an STM32-based image encryption algorithm with hardware implementation is designed by deploying the coexisting hyperchaotic sequences, and the encrypted images can pass various performance tests. This verifies the feasibility of the hyperchaotic sequences for the algorithm in STM32-based image encryption with hardware implementation.

Solubility behavior of Rosiglitazone in ten pure solvents: Model correlation, thermodynamic calculations, and molecular simulation

Rosiglitazone is an oral antidiabetic medication primarily used to treat type 2 diabetes. Herein, the single crystal structure of Rosiglitazone (a = 14.0613(7) Å, b = 8.4675(4) Å, c = 29.8841(16) Å, space group Pbca, Z = 8, V = 3558.1(3) Å3) was analyzed for the first time. Through solubility measurements, model correlation, thermodynamic calculations, and molecular simulations, the dissolution of Rosiglitazone in ten pure solvents was comprehensively investigated. The solubility order at 298.15 K is acetone > methyl acetate > ethyl acetate > butyl acetate > acetonitrile > alcoholic solvents (methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, iso-propanol, n-butanol). Rosiglitazone exhibits higher solubility in non-alcoholic solvents, whereas its solubility in alcoholic solvents is similar and relatively low. Subsequently, the correlation between the experimentally measured solubility of Rosiglitazone and the Modified Apelblat model, λh model, NRTL model, and Van’t Hoff model was examined. The Van’t Hoff equation calculations proved that the dissolution of Rosiglitazone was an endothermic process driven by entropy and characterized by non-spontaneity. The calculation of solvent polarity and Hansen solubility parameters (HSP) reveals that the primary factor influencing the solubility of Rosiglitazone is polarity in highly polar solvents, while the dominant factor is molecular volume in low-polarity solvents. Furthermore, the molecular interactions of solute and solvents were investigated by molecular simulation, including the calculation of electrostatic potential, 2D fingerprint plots and solvation free energy, which provided insights into the mechanism of Rosiglitazone dissolution behavior in different solvents.

Combined first-principles and Boltzmann transport theory methodology for studying magnetotransport in magnetic materials

Unusual magnetotransport behaviors, such as temperature-dependent negative magnetoresistance (MR) and bowtie-shaped MR, have puzzled us for a long time. Although several mechanisms have been proposed to explain these phenomena, the absence of comprehensive quantitative calculations has made these explanations less convincing. In our work, we introduce a methodology to study magnetotransport behaviors in magnetic materials. This approach integrates the anomalous Hall conductivity induced by the Berry curvature, with a multiband ordinary conductivity tensor, employing a combination of first-principles calculations and semiclassical Boltzmann transport theory. Our method also incorporates the temperature dependence of the relaxation time and the anomalous Hall conductivity, as well as the field dependence of the anomalous Hall conductivity. We initially test this approach on models, obtaining distinct behaviors of magnetoresistance and Hall resistivity across several types of magnetic materials, and then apply it to a Weyl semimetal Co3Sn2S2. The results, which align well with experimental observations in terms of magnetic field and temperature dependencies, demonstrate the efficacy of our approach. This methodology provides a comprehensive and efficient means to understand the underlying mechanisms of the unusual complex behaviors observed in magnetotransport measurements in magnetic materials. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Unravelling the role of calcareous deposits on hydrogen uptake: The duality in the calcite behavior

The permeation of hydrogen in carbon steel immersed in deaerated NaCl and artificial seawater solutions under various cathodic polarization is investigated using the Devanathan and Stachurski method combined with in-situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results indicate calcite's dual role in hydrogen uptake: it promotes uptake for bare samples and lower cathodic currents, but inhibits it for preformed deposits and higher cathodic currents. Deposits are characterized through in-situ EIS and scanning electron microscopy, providing further insights into the specific morphology of calcite. These findings are correlated with hydrogen permeation results, elucidating a mechanism for the dual behavior of calcite.